More Prep Baseball Players Sign

Sports

November 17, 1996|By Javier Solano of The Sentinel Staff

DAYTONA BEACH — In what is turning out to be a strong senior class of high school baseball players in Volusia County, Daytona Beach Baseball added three more to the growing list of early signees for college in 1997.

Spruce Creek's Lee Jennings and Palatka's Michael Knowles committed during the early signing period, both signing national letters-of-intent on Friday to attend Georgia next year.

All three players are veterans of the Daytona Beach Baseball program, playing American Legion together over the summer.

Jennings, also a third baseman, was also pursued by Tulane, Florida State, Louisiana State and Clemson. Knowles was being recruited by Florida State, Miami, Florida, Louisiana State and Arkansas. Both are 6-foot-5 righthanders and should start in the rotation for the youth movement at Georgia, which may go with an all-underclassman infield next year.

''I had a real good visit there,'' said Jennings, who spent his last two years of high school at Jacksonville Bolles before transferring back to Spruce Creek, where he was enrolled as a freshman. ''I had a good relationship with the coaches, and I really enjoyed the campus.''

Jennings and Barton hit .450 and .425 respectively for Daytona Beach Baseball's A team over the summer. The two will be teammates this spring at Spruce Creek, a district champion in Class 5A last year.

In other area signings, Father Lopez High, which reached the Class 2A semifinals last year at 31-3, has produced a pair of early signees for the first time in infielder Doug Thomas and catcher Frank Corr.

Thomas, quarterback of the football team and the lead-off hitter for the baseball team, has committed to Arkansas-Little Rock of the Sun Belt Conference. The school's new coach, Brian Rhees, saw Thomas play often during his four-year tenure at nearby Bethune-Cookman. Thomas hit .375, drove in 28 runs and scored 48 from the lead-off position last year for the Green Wave.

Thomas started at third base as a freshman, moved to the outfield as a sophomore, played second base last spring and figures to remain there this season, also doing some pitching and catching.

Lopez's starting catcher, Deltona-resident Frank Corr, committed to Stetson earlier this week. Corr, the Sentinel's Volusia County Player of the Year last spring, hit .491 with 6 home runs 43 RBIs. He was also the leading hitter for DeLand American Legion Post 6 over the summer (.442, 78 RBIs).